Restraint, weight suppression, and self-report reliability: How much do you really weigh?

This study examined the effects of weight suppression on eating behaviors in a standard restraint ice cream taste-test paradigm. Participants were 58 female restrained eaters categorized by self-report as either high- or low weight suppressors. Prior to the taste test, half of the participants received a milkshake preload. The amount of ice cream consumed during the taste test was the primary measure of interest. A 2 x 2 analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant differences between groups. This contradicts previously reported results in which restrained eaters consumed more following a preload than in the no-preload condition and provides further evidence that restraint is not a homogeneous construct. These results also question the use of self-report measures to determine an individual's level of weight suppression. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.